COLLEGE OF LAW

The New Business Legal Clinic – A Northeast Ohio Resource for Small Business Development

The University of Akron School of Law funds and operates the New Business Legal Clinic (NBLC) (see http://www.uakron.edu/law/clinical.php). The NBLC provides low-cost legal and business assistance to small and emerging businesses in greater Stark and Summit Counties. Under the supervision of a licensed attorney, second and third year law students provide non-litigation, transactional legal and business advice including business planning, employment, contract/lease, tax and entity formation information to our clients. The NBLC provides low-cost legal assistance to businesses that might not otherwise be able to afford legal services and that have been in operation less than five (5) years and with gross annual revenues less than $100,000.
The NBLC currently has one-thirty (130) retained clients, which makes it one of the largest law school business clinics in the country. In addition, the NBLC conducts well over one-hundred twenty-five (125) free legal consultations annually, with local small and emerging businesses.

In November of 2002, the NBLC began a partnering relationship with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Stark County, the local arm of the Small Business Administration. Since then, the NBLC has entered into partnerships with SBDC’s in Kent and Akron, Ohio.

Small business creation is an essential part of our local community economic development. As a partner in the community, the NBLC encourages economic independence and self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship, with a special emphasis on women and minorities. An important goal of the NBLC is to help counter the high failure rate of small businesses by providing them with legal and business planning tools. NBLC services help produce more stable businesses that contribute to the economic growth of our community.

Since its inception, the NBLC has been instrumental in creating fifty (50) Limited Liability Companies, fifteen (15) corporations for profit and aided in the administration of six (6) not-for-profit corporations, the majority of which are located in the greater Stark/Summit County community. The NBLC conservatively estimates that it has been involved in creating or maintaining at least one-hundred fifty (150) jobs in the community.

The NBLC is an active partner with a number of local business organizations and groups, including the Small Business Development Centers of Stark, Summit and Portage Counties, The University Park Alliance, the Akron Bar Association, SCORE and W.O.M.E.N. (Women’s Organization for Mentoring, Entrepreneurship and Networking).

Local demand for NBLC services continues to grow steadily. The NBLC helps a diverse group of local community businesspersons realize their goals and dreams, adds jobs to the community and gives NBLC law students invaluable, practical experience.